recipes

So the girl (my daughter) wasn't feeling well on Sunday so I decided to keep her home from school on Monday .. which was good because although I missed class I caught up on some much needed studying .. okay and I made these cookies. They are seriously to die for .. although they have peanut butter in them, which means I can't send them in the kids lunches they don't last that long around here anyway. I made a double batch and froze one of them.

Here is the recipe:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter .. I used natural unsweetend this time because that is what I had opened already
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips .. I've also added raisins before

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream together butter and sugars, add the egg and vanilla .. dump in the rest of the ingredients .. yep I never mix the dry seperately .. because that would just dirty another bowl .. like hellllooo .. I have enough to clean already thankyou!

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes .. I always take them out when I think they could use just another minute or two .. this will ensure your cookies are soft on the inside and not like little hockey puck!

It's friday!

Okay so I really don't like the day of the week to dictate my mood but I am so glad it's Friday today .. it's been a long week .. and we are getting new carpets installed in our bedrooms today! So last night hubby and I moved everything from our room and the kids rooms to the living room and swept and cleaned the bedroom floors in preparation .. it actually didn't take as long as I thought it would. One rule I want to uphold in our house is not having juice or food in the bedrooms .. I can't tell you how many times the kids spill their drinks on the carpets .. and previously they where a light beige color .. it seriously took us about six months of living in this house before they looked like a bunch of two year olds had a koolaid party.

okay fast forward 12 hours .. came home to perfectly installed dusty rose carpets when I ordered gun metal grey ones .. OMG. This is what happens when men organize things .. sorry men .. you are good for some things but not for others. I am actually not that mad .. I think I am still stunned. Actually I think I just decided not to be mad. Yes .. I do make decisions like this. I really try not to focus my energy on things I cannot change. Again .. I know this sounds completely corny but really .. try it. Don't get me wrong .. I am a hot tempered woman and push the wrong button you will see Reagan from the exorcist .. okay well maybe when I was in my twenties .. I seem to have chilled out abit in my thirties, or given up .. one or the other. Anyway, I'm just saying .. focus on what you can change, not what you can't. Just let it go .. you will feel a heeuuugggge relief when you do!

What a Monday .. and already thinking about Christmas

Today was my first day back to school after a week long study break from my fulltime massage therapy course. Yep I was hit with a physiology test at 8:20am sharp! I would be lying if I said keeping up in school, running a home, taking care of the kids and trying to keep my fitness up is easy (oh and feeding my deal hunting addiction!).. it is alot o' work! I love to be busy but today .. ohhhh ... today was tiring. Thoughts of the busy Christmas season are in the back of my mind .. every other year I have always bought presents along the way, stocked them up neatly in my furnace room and felt so content to know I was prepared. ummmm yeah ... not sure that is going to be the case this year. And actually .. I'm not sure if I want to do it that way anyway. I think I spend more money and time this way. This year I think I will shop one day for the kids, and one day for family. That's it .. when it's done, it's done .. when the money is spent .. the money is spent. No more running out for this-and-that .. yep two shopping days and it's done. I don't have a big family and either does my husband so this is easily done .. especially since I will preplan my trip to make the most of my time and gas money. I'm hoping hubby will want to come along this year (he never gets in on the Christmas shopping!) and it is really nice to go out Christmas shopping with your spouse. Luckily I bought lots of wrapping paper last year on sale after Christmas so that is one thing I don't have to buy! One thing I have been thinking of doing as a family .. and I know this is going to sound very very corny ... but I really want to do something charitable and enable my kids to experience the good feeling of giving. My kids are old enough (7 & 11) to really get this experience and I'm looking for some ideas! Has anyone else done something like this as a family?

I will be okay if we are snowed in ...

My best deal this weekend was at Superstore .. I had found some $1.50 off Melitta coffee coupons at Sobey's and Safeway and matched them up with the $1.50 off instore coupon at Superstore. If any of you didn't know .. you CAN combine a superstore instore coupon with another manufacturers coupon. Superstores instore coupons are posted right when you walk in the door on a big board.

Soooo ... that meant I would get $3 off per tin/bag of coffee .. the tins ended up costing me 46 cents each!! The bags of coffee beans ended up being $6. Hubby and I are big coffee drinkers so this was great for us .. but if you're not a coffee drinker don't let that stop you from taking advantage of this great deal. How cute would a gift basket of coffee, a couple mugs and some fancy cookies be as a Christmas present??

Am I the only one ...

that watches other people shop?? Seriously .. I can't believe what some people are willing to pay for things. The same things that I will seriously debate in my head purchasing for a fraction of what they do. Just last night while out coupon shopping I held a bag of chocolate almonds for literally five minutes before i decided that they simply weren't cheap enough to buy even after my coupon. I don't consider myself by any means a coupon expert but sometimes I really want to take people and grab them and say .. "there is a better way!!!".
My relationship with couponing started about three years ago and I must admit .. it is a parttime job. Sometimes I get frustrated with it .. but mostly I love it. People have commented to me that they are amazed but just don't have the time to devote to save money by shopping multiple stores, price matching and using coupons. Now this .. I just don't understand. It takes time to make money so of course it will take time to save it! More than that .. there is something so satisfying about getting a great deal .. it's like beating the system in some way! Granted maybe alot of families aren't as tight financially as we are but I know alot of them are .. and .. the pressures of the holiday financial burden is coming soon enough .. below are my top tips to get started in couponing ..

1.Don't buy things you wouldn't normally buy just because you have a coupon .. (unless it's free!). This is a major trap .. and will not save you money in the long run. However .. be flexible. If you are loyal to a particular brand consider trying a brand which there is a coupon for. At the end of the day .. when it comes to food items .. it is still food .. and you may like the different brand better!

2.Start small, coupon kings/queens can seem intimidating with all that they know and you may think you will never be at their level. Couponing and saving money IS a skill .. one that comes with experience.

3.Always .. I mean always grab coupons you see and hold on to them .. even if you think you will never use it or the item will never go on sale. I can't tell you how many times I've held onto a coupon which has sat in my coupon binder for six months before the deal comes up.

4.Be organized .. when your flyers come .. sit down with them and your coupons .. scope out the best deals, prices, what you can match up with your coupons.

5.Become a member of smartcanucks.ca .. a wonderful Canadian site, so many tips .. links to coupons, a section to brag about your deals .. I lurrrvee this site.

When did Halloween go and get so expensive?

Am I the only one that realizes how much Halloween has changed over the years? When I was a kid there was no special trip to go and buy our costumes .. we made our own from stuff around the house, used our moms makeup .. and got creative. Each year we have spent at the very least thirty dollars on each of our kids Halloween costumes.

No more I say .. no more. As my kids where eating breakfast this morning, I broke the news that this year they will be creating their own costumes .. well you would have thought the sky was falling and I had told them they where eating their last meal and after that they where both going to get teeth pulled!

My kids are spoiled .. but we have done it to them .. over the years. My reaction to their protest is mixed .. I feel guilty .. and I feel determined. Guilty because I have become accustomed to buying my kids what they want and now am pulling the plug. I am determined however not to give in and really think they will have fun getting creative with costume designing.

Missing in Action ..

So since starting this blog .. there have been alot of changes in my life .. hence the no posts .. sorry! I started massage therapy school and am totoally loving every minute. It is very hard and time consuming but for the first time in my life almost I feel like I am exactly where I need to be .. okay that sounded very 'Oprah'. Finding time to study with a family is difficult but I try to get as much done at school as I can .. and so far .. the grades are good!

October came fast and so did the cold weather in Winnipeg .. normally I enjoy fall but this year I am really really really dreaded the winter. Every year it's getting worse and I wonder how I will get through another one .. but somehow we survive and still .. I feel so lucky to have a healthy family and a nice home at the end of the day.

My deal shopping has slowed down considerably since starting school .. but moreso I've tried to change my focus and concentrate on shopping for deals on food .. I mean really .. how many bottles of bodywash does one family need?? This new attitude to coupon shopping has come from the stark reality that we spend too much money ... yep it's time to create a budget .. and stick to it. Even though I am an avid price watcher .. I wasn't really sticking to a set amount of money for groceries .. or anything else for that matter.

Using the "Till debt do us part" show as inspiration we will now be living on cash. I am excited .. hubby is .. well lets just say he's in agreeance .. so far I've estimated that we will spend $500/month on groceries. Every month I will transfer this amount into a Presidents Choice financial account .. I need this money seperate from our regular account! Having a montly amount will also enable me to spend more on weeks that the deals are hot .. and with this account you also earn points .. for .. you guessed it free groceries! Does anyone else have a PC financial account?